A variety of medical procedures involve temporary restriction or stoppage of blood flow to a target region to, for example, prevent excessive bleeding during a procedure or to necrose the target tissue. This is often done by occluding the artery or arteries supplying the target region.
Uterine fibroids have been treated by occluding the supply of blood thereto. However, complex surgical procedures may be required to occlude the targeted vessels, adding to the expense and time required for the treatment. It may also be difficult to achieve a desired degree of occlusion without damaging the targeted vessel(s) or the surrounding tissue. Many current methods are also irreversible or reversible only through complicated and/or painful procedures.